By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist Membership continues to grow in the Montana Council of Cooperatives. Three new cooperatives have joined the council since the beginning of 2018. New members are Crucible (Belgrade), Equity Co-op Association (Malta), and Farmers Union Oil Company (Circle). Crucible is the newest worker-owned cooperative in…

MCOC’s 58th Annual Meeting took place at the Historic Hotel Arvon in Downtown Great Falls on January 11-12, 2018. MCOC President Clarence “Fritz” Keller welcomed Council members to their 58th Annual Meeting. MCDC Executive Director Janice Brown updated MCOC members about the first Montana Cooperative Impact Week. Co-op leaders reached…

By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist In celebration of National Co-op Month, the Montana Cooperative Development Center brought to Eastern Montana four days of activities, dialogue and presentations focused on the cooperative business model. Co-op leaders from Dawson, Richland and McCone counties spoke to high school and college students about…

MCOC Board Member Ed Malesich was re-elected to the CHS Board at their annual meeting in Minneapolis. He was elected by all Region 2 delegates from Montana and Wyoming. Malesich is one of 17 directors representing CHS member-owners, who include CHS Big Sky and Mountain View Co-op.

By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist The Montana Council of Cooperatives (MCOC) has teamed up with the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC) to host a week-long event in Eastern Montana that includes four days of activities, dialogue and presentations focused on the cooperative business model. Montana Cooperative Impact Week is…

By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist The Montana Council of Cooperatives is pleased to have welcomed 11 new members to its ranks over the past year. Cooperatives that have joined the Council since last October are: Farmers Union Oil Company (Circle), Fresh Start (Geraldine), Loyal to Local Cooperative (Hamilton), Northeast…

By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist RECORD SETTING GAME: This year’s Co-op Nite at the Ball Park was the most attended since stats were recorded in 2011 (stats courtesy of Great Falls Voyagers). Attendance was at 2,548, a 1% increase over last year’s attendance. The smoke that blew in from…

(To watch a video about the new Fresh Start Cooperative, click on the play button above) By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist The small Montana town of Geraldine once again has a grocery store operating in the center of town. Prominently located at the corner of Main and Collins streets,…

By Guy Gregory MCDC Communications Specialist The Montana Cooperative Impact Project will launch this fall as a nine-month educational program that will build awareness of the cooperative business model among the next generation of Montana’s co-op leaders. The program is supported by the Montana Council of Cooperatives and will be…